Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-01
4. HONE MOON TRIP.
BY EMILE zoIOA. {

5 s5.. za BY EMILE zoLoA. rs:
" il is q week since I4ucien Berard and
Hortense Lariviere were married.
Mime. Lariviere, Hortense's widowed
mother, has for thirty years past kept
toy shop in the Rue de la Chaussee
d'Antin. She is a stiff short woman,
with an over-bearing temper. she did
her best to prevent her daughter from
marrying Lucien, the only son OF q
hardware dealer in the neighborhood,
but the young people somehowgot the
best OF her. However reluctant, she
had to yield her consent; but she now
intends to keep close watch and q tight
hand over theyoungcouple Although
by the marriage contract she has given
up the toy shop to Hortense, merely
reserving to herself q room in the
apartment, she still, in fact, manages
the house. under pretense OF showing
the young folks the details of the bust
ness.
It is the month ofAugust. The
heat is intense and business very dull.
Mime. Larivlere, of course, is as sour
as ever. She will not let Lucien for
get himself for a. moment when beside
Hortense. Did she not the other
morning find them kissing in the shopl
A proper thing this, to be sure, and
likely to bring custom to the place!
She had never allowed NJ. Larivlere to
touch her even with the tips of his fin
gers during business hours. He, it IS
true, never ureamU OF such thing
And that is how they had built up g.
busin ess.
Lucein, not yet daring openly to re.
volt, sent kisses to his wife when his
other.in.law's back was turned.
At last he plucked up courage one day
to remind her that both families,
previous to the wedding, had promis-
ed him and his wife a honeymoon trip.
At this remark Nine. Lariviere
puckered her thin lips.
SWELL" she answered dryly, stake
an afternoon walk in the Boulogne
wood"
The newly married pair looked at
each other dumbfounded. Hortense
now thought her mother perfectly ri.
diculous. Even at night she could
scarcely be left alone with her hus-
band. At the least noise, up came
Nine. Lariviere in her bare feet, and
knocked at the door to inquire if they
were not ill. And when they answered
that they were in the best OF health,
she would exclaim:
"You'd better go to sleep then, or
I'll catch you mapping behind the
counter again tomorrow morning."
The mother-in-law's conduct was
beyond endurance. Lucien mentioned
all the shopkeepers- in the vicinity who
took short trips, while kinsfolk or
trusty assistants were left behind to
mind the shop. There was glove
dealer at the corner of the Rue Lafay-
cite, who was at Dieppe; the cutler of
the Rue sSaint-Nicolas, who had Just
left for Luchon; the jeweler near the
Boulevard, who had taken his wife to
Switzerland. Nowadays anyone who
was anybody took amonth's holiday.
"'Twill be the ruin OF the business,
sir, do you hear?" clamored Nine.
Lariviere. Gin NJ. Lariviere's time we
went once year, on Easter Monday,
to the Vincennes wood, and we We're
the worse off on that account. Shall
i tell you what it will come to? You
will be the ruination of thehouse, with
your taste for voyaging like this! Yes,
the ruination of the housed"
"But it was distinctly agreed upon
that we should take a tip somewhere"
put in Hortense. Remember, man.
ma, you said So"
"Perhaps I did, but that was before
the marriage. We are apt to say all
sorts of nonsensical things before the
wedding. Come, now, don't be- ridicu-
[ousl"
Lucien went out so as to avoid a
quarrel. He had q ferocious inclina.
tion to strange his mother-in-law. On
his return, however, after two hours
absence, he was another man; he
spoke in a. soft voice to Mime. Larivi-
ere, and had queer smile at the cor.
ner of his month.
In the evening he asked his wife:
''Have you ever been in Normady?"
cot course you know I haven't"
said Hortense. II have never been
anywhere except to the Vincennes
wood"
On the following day Lucien' father
Father Berard, as he is called in the
neigh borhood, where he is known as
jolly good fellow, with a sharp eye to
into the toy shop,
quite unexpectedly, and invited him
slef to breakfast.
When coffee came on to the table,
he said in an off hand way:
II have brought our children a pres.
ent," and he produced two railway
tickets.
whats that?" inquired Nine.
Lariviere, in a husky voice.
1.-TWO first-class tickets for a circu-
lar trip through Normandy. Well,
my little ones, what do you say to
that? A whole month of fresh mir!
You'll come back as fresh as roses"
Nine. Lariviere was astounded. She
to protest, but did not care
to quarrel with Father Berard. who
was of an obstinate turn of mine, and
would always have the last word, but
when she heard the hardware dealer
speak OF taking the pair of at once
TO the station, her amazement exceed
ed all bounds. Father Berard
wouldn't loosen his grip on them till
be saw them both off in the train.
/ Cali right" she muttered with in.
ward rage. ''take my daughter away
rom me if you like. So much the bet
tor. They won't be kissing each 9TH
er in tho shop at least, and ] can look
after the honor of the house"
The young married couple soon
reached tina Saint. I4azara station. ac-